A Keizer photographer’s image is on the cover of this year’s Oregon Blue Book.
Matt Straite participated in a public ceremony at the Capitol on Friday, April 17, for the release of the book, signing copies of the state-issued book.
The Oregon Blue Book, a fact book and directory prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, accepts photography submissions each year for the cover. Straite’s colorful image of the Painted Hills in Wheeler County was chosen among many.
“I’ve had photos published a couple of times, but never on the cover of a book. I was thrilled,” he said.
Straite, 51, is a self-taught photographer. Despite moving from state to state as a kid, his love for photography remained constant.
His part-time job in high school was amusement park photography. In college, contracts with Disneyland and Universal Studios, among other notable parks, allowed him to pay for school.
But Straite’s success with photography put him at a crossroads.
“I had to decide if I was going to stay in college and finish my urban planning degree, or continue with this photo thing,” he said.
For the sake of job security, he chose to continue with urban development, which eventually led him to Keizer in 2020.
On weekdays Straite commutes to Millersburg, where he works for the city as the community development director.
On weekends, he’s “got a camera in hand,” traveling somewhere “interesting” to take a photo.
This was the case a few years back when he drove to the Painted Hills for a shoot.
The wooden pathways swerving between claystone hills offered the exact dichotomy that Straite looks for: high-quality nature in tandem with man’s creation.
“It’s not just about nature…it’s about how man is helping people see nature,” he said.
Straite submitted the photo last year, assuming it would stand out among more common Oregon landscapes, such as waterfalls and mountain peaks.
“I gotta be honest – that’s not even my favorite photo. I thought that Eastern Oregon needed some representation…I thought that this photo would win, and I guess I was right,” he said.
Contest organizers told Straite that his photo was chosen from 200 submissions.
He was elated, almost a year after his submission, to hear that his photo won. Moving forward, he wants to adjust his camera work with future submissions in mind.
“There’s a lot of times when I’m just looking for the best photo,” he said, “but in order for that photo to be used by somebody, you might have to shoot in a different way.”
The Oregon Blue Book, published annually since 1911, can be purchased online or at the capitol for $18. It contains facts about Oregon’s history, information about government agencies and institutions, and more.
CORRECTION: The Keizer photographer is Matt Straite, not Mike Straite. An earlier version had his first name wrong. Keizertimes apologizes for the error.
News tip? Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected]
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